MUMBAI: Maverick Productions’ Anuj Saxena has joined hands with White Leaf Entertainment’s Vikas Kalantri and Pooja Ghai for a new television award.

According to the organisers, The Gold Awards will be an endeavour to make the small screen awards in India a global phenomenon and the inaugural event would be held in Mauritius on 8 September, 2007.

The Gold awards jury comprises Ravi Chopra (producer/director), Mithun Chakraborthy (actor), Rati Agnihotri (actress), Subhash Awate (Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai) and Gita Hari (journalist and editor of Gold Magazine).

Stressing the need for global recognition, Saxena said, “I am glad to be a part of this event along with Vikas and Pooja. It’s time the television industry gets the international recognition it deserves. We are sure Gold Awards will be a success not only now but even in years to come.”

Kalantri added, “To put more authenticity in the awards, we will have voting carried through the medium of mobile vans which would run across the city ensuring even the technical crew to vote, right from the spot boys to actors, including the directors, writers and producers.”

The Gold awards come amidst the buzz that Balaji Telefilms’ Ekta Kapoor is also planning to launch her own television awards. With the small screen having so many awards, what needs to be addressed is the authenticity associated with the awards ceremony, rather than being an exercise in garnering publicity.